By now you've heard the hype and seen the covers of Vogue Italia's all black July issue. Now, step inside the magazine to experience some of the powerful editorials shot by Steven Meisel. Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Liya Kebede, Jourdan Dunn, Chanel Iman (left), and Sessilee Lopez are all a part of this groundbreaking movement, each bringing to the table their own unique presence. Repeat after me: Black is beautiful!

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5 years

Waoh glad i found this thread-although late! I saw so many positive comments I knew there had to be the opposite somewhere!
Austerity you are right that it shows that it is not normal to have so many black ladies on the cover and that is exactly what this issue was done for. If you research it, it was to point out that it's not normal and therefore it's perhaps a different way than you might have gone about it but it is hardly reverse racism. I hate when people claim reverse racism because it implies an "all things being equal" clause. The fact is all things are not equal. There is a black issue because most other issues are white (or actually latino since many of them are fair skinned). If the fashion mag industry was equal and then they put out an all black issue I would be the first person screaming racism but that's not the way it is.
Furthermore was Vogue Italia considered racist before this issue because it was only geared at Italians? I find it a little disturbing that there can be different cultural white groups celebrated as in the constant mag issues about hot russian women or the swedish model stereotype and no one has a problem with that. (perhaps these aren't always fashion mags but I haven't heard an uproar about them. They are talking about the beauty of a certain group of women and I rarely hear about the beauty of black women (except from other blacks)!

Yes, I will also call that reverse racism. No offense, but the fact that I'm Asian is not going to prejudice me as to not calling that reverse racism as well. Because my objection is not to putting black ladies on the cover, it is to blatantly show certain racial preferences in an issue.
Moreover, if we can have a 'black' THEME issue, it shows that it is still not considered normal to have so many black ladies in the magazine. Why make it a 'theme' at all? We are striving to make more ladies of color in these magazines a normal thing, so why give it a special tag? 'The black theme' then just becomes a fad that doesn't have an impact on the long-term composition of these magazines. You see the next issue will again continue to have mostly white ladies. These kind of issues are just so that the editors can say 'see how much attention we pay to diversity, look at our awesome (one-time!) all-black issue!'.
A subtle, gradual and more long-lasting inclusion of women of color would make more sense to me.

Yes, I will also call that reverse racism. No offense, but the fact that I'm Asian is not going to prejudice me as to not calling that reverse racism as well. Because my objection is not to putting black ladies on the cover, it is to blatantly show certain racial preferences in an issue.Moreover, if we can have a 'black' THEME issue, it shows that it is still not considered normal to have so many black ladies in the magazine. Why make it a 'theme' at all? We are striving to make more ladies of color in these magazines a normal thing, so why give it a special tag? 'The black theme' then just becomes a fad that doesn't have an impact on the long-term composition of these magazines. You see the next issue will again continue to have mostly white ladies. These kind of issues are just so that the editors can say 'see how much attention we pay to diversity, look at our awesome (one-time!) all-black issue!'.A subtle, gradual and more long-lasting inclusion of women of color would make more sense to me.

Of course all black isn't diverse at all. But, it's just the first step towards diversity. May be next we'll see an equal amount of black, white, asian, latina, etc all in one issue.
Me being black has nothing for me thinking this is not "reverse-racism" because most of my friends aren't black. I know reverse racism when I see it and I think this is just to empower black women to not be afraid of the fashion industry and to show that black women do exist in this predominantly white industry.
Hmm. May be next we'll see an all Asian issue. Will you be calling that "reverse-racism" as well?

Of course all black isn't diverse at all. But, it's just the first step towards diversity. May be next we'll see an equal amount of black, white, asian, latina, etc all in one issue.Me being black has nothing for me thinking this is not "reverse-racism" because most of my friends aren't black. I know reverse racism when I see it and I think this is just to empower black women to not be afraid of the fashion industry and to show that black women do exist in this predominantly white industry.Hmm. May be next we'll see an all Asian issue. Will you be calling that "reverse-racism" as well?

History being made.... I need to get my hands on this. I dont want to read it from a computer!!!! Now thats lame. Barnes and Nobles does not carry Vogue Italia. I am rapid- I NEED THIS MAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bella ~You hit the nail in the last line of your comment, imho. Of course we want diversity and equality...but All-Black doesn't spell diversity to me! Instead it means a focus on ONE particular group of 'ethnic-looking' people'. Let's hope it's at least a step in the right direction.

I am so excited about this issue. Let's be real: Most fashion magazines and most fashion shows feature hardly ANY women of color, and of that, very few women are black. The majority of fashion shows have one, maybe two women — out of 20 or 30 — who aren't white. I want to see more diversity and equality, don't you?
This magazine gets people talking about that injustice, which is a good first step if things are going to change. The real test: Will ensuing issues also feature models of different backgrounds?

I am so excited about this issue. Let's be real: Most fashion magazines and most fashion shows feature hardly ANY women of color, and of that, very few women are black. The majority of fashion shows have one, maybe two women — out of 20 or 30 — who aren't white. I want to see more diversity and equality, don't you? This magazine gets people talking about that injustice, which is a good first step if things are going to change. The real test: Will ensuing issues also feature models of different backgrounds?

rememberlaika ~ maybe I'm the only one but I agree with you here; this IS reverse racism and blatantly so. 'All-black' is such a racist term it scares me. And I'm not even white!On the other hand, it is also true that white women in magazines, and the white beauty ideal in general, dominates. Methinks they should have had an 'all-women unite'-issue with white, black, latina, eastern european, middle eastern, south asian, and east asian women (one each) on the cover. What they've done here is just even more polarizing.LADIES in general, I'm all for that.

rememberlaika ~ maybe I'm the only one but I agree with you here; this IS reverse racism and blatantly so. 'All-black' is such a racist term it scares me. And I'm not even white!
On the other hand, it is also true that white women in magazines, and the white beauty ideal in general, dominates. Methinks they should have had an 'all-women unite'-issue with white, black, latina, eastern european, middle eastern, south asian, and east asian women (one each) on the cover. What they've done here is just even more polarizing.
LADIES in general, I'm all for that.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, valid or...not so vaild.
On one hand, the argument that if the shoe were on the other foot, women/people of color would protest and call it a racial issue is valid. However, almost every fashion magazine in America is geared toward white women. Racial privelege is the idea that one does not see oppression because they are not oppressed.
On the other hand, women of color live in a world where the standard is to be thin, to have long hair, lighter skin, etc., therefore a lot of them do not have many of the opportunities that white models do.
It may be unfair to have ONE magazine issue of all black models compared to hundreds of thousands of magazines of all white models. If we are going to talk about fairness and integration, someone who has the power to change it has to want to make the change before any of that can happen.
To read more about this issue please read the October issue of JAYE magazine at http://www.jayemag.com/

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, valid or...not so vaild.On one hand, the argument that if the shoe were on the other foot, women/people of color would protest and call it a racial issue is valid. However, almost every fashion magazine in America is geared toward white women. Racial privelege is the idea that one does not see oppression because they are not oppressed. On the other hand, women of color live in a world where the standard is to be thin, to have long hair, lighter skin, etc., therefore a lot of them do not have many of the opportunities that white models do. It may be unfair to have ONE magazine issue of all black models compared to hundreds of thousands of magazines of all white models. If we are going to talk about fairness and integration, someone who has the power to change it has to want to make the change before any of that can happen. To read more about this issue please read the October issue of JAYE magazine at http://www.jayemag.com/

hmm...Sorry I FAIL to see how GROUNDBREAKING this issue is. I apologize for NOT seeing it YOUR way, how silly of me. All this does is perpetuate the categorization of women in general. Black ladies, white ladies, brown ladies. I'm all for the LADIES.
Ground-breaking or not, my point was that if the shoe were on the other foot...heads would roll. You can't deny that. I'm not saying it's right by any means, just not fair.
Most of my black friends are totally against black history month, BET, UNCC, and any other club, organization and company that further seperates them from the rest of the population. Intergration not seperation, that's all I'm saying.

hmm...Sorry I FAIL to see how GROUNDBREAKING this issue is. I apologize for NOT seeing it YOUR way, how silly of me. All this does is perpetuate the categorization of women in general. Black ladies, white ladies, brown ladies. I'm all for the LADIES. Ground-breaking or not, my point was that if the shoe were on the other foot...heads would roll. You can't deny that. I'm not saying it's right by any means, just not fair. Most of my black friends are totally against black history month, BET, UNCC, and any other club, organization and company that further seperates them from the rest of the population. Intergration not seperation, that's all I'm saying.

Uh yeah most magazines are "all white". That's what makes this issue so groundbreaking! It is a total slap in the face because most fashion editors believe that a black model on the cover of a magazine will never sell. This magazine is already sold out in New York.
I am sorry you FAIL to see the significance of this issue but I dismiss that argument like the whole "BET is racist" one.

Uh yeah most magazines are "all white". That's what makes this issue so groundbreaking! It is a total slap in the face because most fashion editors believe that a black model on the cover of a magazine will never sell. This magazine is already sold out in New York. I am sorry you FAIL to see the significance of this issue but I dismiss that argument like the whole "BET is racist" one.